Bloodbending isn't all bad
by Eleanor the great
Summary: Katara is sick of being a third wheel. If Toph and Sokka aren't going to do anything about it, she will.


Katara was really pissed off. She had known going to the Northern Water Tribe summit to strengthen diplomatic relations between the Earth Kingdom and the Water tribes would not be easy, but the long council meetings discussing the ownership of the northern and southern air temples were not what was making her blood boil.

Fire Lord Zuko had called Aang to the fire nation to help quash a rebellion in its third largest city, suspecting Azula was instrumental; Zuko had understandably wanted the guarantee of Aang's help. But this meant Katara was stuck with Toph and Sokka, and it was infuriating. They did everything together. Katara was Sokka's _sister, _she'd known Toph since Toph was twelve, if there were two people in the world she should've felt comfortable with – it was them. But she didn't feel comfortable, she felt incredibly awkward – she had never felt like such a third wheel in her life, and that was including the time she'd been stuck with Zuko and Mai on her own for three days.

_Azula had broken loose, and after a discussion; Zuko, Mai, Aang and herself had thought it prudent to try and keep up the façade that Aang was in the capital while he went in search for her. Katara had played an ostentatious role- as everyone knew the avatar never went anywhere without her- so she kept up appearances in the capital to make Azula's supporters believe Aang was still in residence. _

Zuko and Mai had been very kind, but Katara had felt pretty awkward, but that was nothing to the way she felt now.

It was sickening, quite frankly. They traded inside jokes _all day_, she always found herself following along behind the two of them as they walked to the council meetings, Sokka would read out all the documents to Toph every night himself, and yesterday she had walked in on them lying on the double bed meant for her and Toph drinking Jasmine tea and giggling, their excuse was they had been waiting for her to get ready to go. As if! Katara thought, I'm always ready! They were so couple-y! Ergh!

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was, they didn't DO anything about it. Katara had asked Sokka on multiple occasions if he liked Toph

'Oh no! She's like a sister to me! I mean – she's awesome and I love her, but I dunno like she's twenty, I'm twenty-three and I still haven't really gotten over Suki and-'

'Sokka. You broke up with Suki seven years ago. Seven. You haven't seen her for three of those, and you just spent the last 3 hours giggling over pickled fish with Toph.'

'heh heh, pickled fish…'

'Ergh!'

She'd tried subtly hinting to Toph,

'So… Toph, checked out any guys lately?'

'oh yeah, it's so easy to check them out when you're blind'

*facepalm*

'Haha! Sorry, eight years and I still forget, but um, is there anyone… you know… you're…. interested in?"

"Not really, they tend to get freaked out when I ram them with a boulder"

"Oh, erm yeah"

She hadn't realized how bad the situation was, usually when Katara was with the two of them together - Aang or Zuko were there too, or maybe Mai or Tylee, even Suki, but now, with nothing else to distract her except for long and boring treaty documents, the two of them were driving her mad. She knew Sokka liked Toph, he flushed beetroot red under his olive skin whenever she laughed at his jokes, but Toph didn't know that.

Toph was much more difficult to read… however she had noticed that the week Sokka broke up with Suki, Toph had been unusually upbeat. But that was three years ago, and perhaps things had changed… then again, she had never seen Toph as happy as she was when she was around Sokka.

Well, it had gone on long enough. Katara was going to do something about it.

She'd promised herself she'd never do it again… but it was for a good cause right? She grinned to herself; it had been a while since she'd done something like this...

She had been feeling stronger than ever up here in the Northern Water Tribe surrounded by her element, and the full moon was nigh…


End file.
